Escaping the Amish Mennonite Church on the Appalachian Trail with Moxie Farr (BPR #382)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek, brought to you by Topo Athletic, we are joined by Moxie Farr, an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker who grew up in a strict Amish-Mennonite community, funded her hike with a chicken business, and is now living off-grid while pursuing the education she was denied growing up. In this one, Moxie walks us through how the AT became a lifeline when she felt trapped in her church, she explains how she researched backpacking gear by bribing hikers with homemade sandwiches, and shares the emotional moments of subtle church rebellion on trail. We also cover how Hollywood gets Rumspringa completely wrong, what it felt like to be treated as an equal by men for the first time on trail, and why she wants a redemption AT thru-hike where she can finally hike without looking over her shoulder. This story is truly one-of-a-kind- Moxie's life will be turned into a movie before long. We wrap the show with a couple of PCT trail towns that are up for sale, the outdated trends we refuse to abandon, the Triple Crown of "they're a 10, but…," Sass gives us a one-minute gear review of Mountain Hardwear's ALUULA ultralight pack, and we hear from a listener about the worst YouTube channel on the Internet. Topo Athletic: Use code "Trek15Hike" for 15% off at topoathletic.com . Gossamer Gear: Use code "BPR10" for 10% off shelters at gossamergear.com . Darn Tough: Use code "BACKPACKER" for free shipping from darntough.com . Hyperlite Mountain Gear: Use code "BPRADIO15" for 15% off at hyperlitemountaingear.com . [divider] Interview with Moxie Farr Moxie's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:06:00 - Reminders: Join us LIVE in Denver with Andrew Skurka , apply to vlog or blog for the Trek , and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon ! 00:09:00 - Introducing Moxie 00:11:32 - Discussion about Moxie soda 00:14:25 - Where did you grow up, and how did you first learn about the AT? 00:15:56 - How did you go from thinking thru-hikers were idiots to wanting to hike the AT yourself? 00:22:45 - What rules were you worried about breaking while hiking? 00:23:30 - Discussion about the differences between Amish and Mennonite communities 00:29:17 - How has technology changed the Amish community? 00:36:05 - How are women treated in the Amish and Mennonite communities? 00:38:08 - Tell us about "boy catchers" and the policing of women's appearance 00:44:08 - What was it like to meet so many new people on the trail? 00:48:04 - How did you afford and acquire your gear? 00:51:38 - Walk me through the early days on the thru-hike 00:56:30 - How did your brainwashed state interface with typical thru-hiker culture? 00:59:35 - Were you still spiritual on trail, or was this the start of rebellion? 01:01:40 - When did the seed get planted that you might need to leave the church? 01:05:30 - What was going through your head when you finished the hike and had to go home? 01:08:39 - How did you decide to leave the church for good? 01:10:43 - How did you act